Flight of Fancie

by Linda Rettstatt

  The front door opened and the other three women came in, laughing. “You wouldn’t believe it. Mik made us walk way down the beach and wade into the water to pee so we wouldn’t contaminate the beach where she was wading.” Chastity shook her head.

  “It just seemed more sanitary,” Mikayla replied.

  “With those waves, my pee is halfway to Europe by now,” Chastity quipped. “I’m gonna shower.”

  “Not here,” Ashley said.

  “Still no water? But you two look fresh and clean.”

  “Relax. You can shower next door. Luke left the back door open. There’s a shower upstairs and one down,” Fancie said.

  The three women all stared, brows lifted. “Luke?” Charity asked.

  “The guy staying next door. He came over to see if he could fix the plumbing problem. He couldn’t, but he turned off the water. And he offered use of the showers at his place. He’ll be out for the day. Whatever you do, don’t let Barney escape.”

  “Who’s Barney?”

  “A little black dog. Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite. I haven’t even heard him bark. Luke said he’d be gone until evening, so the showers are ours.”

  The three women all raced up the stairs and back down with canvas bags stuffed with towels and toiletries, jockeying to get through the door first.

  Later they decided to drive into Savannah and take a walking tour of the city. Fancie hurried next door to take the dog outside first. He was in no rush to do his business and inspected every inch of the small back yard. Once he’d found a suitable spot, he took care of business, then looked up at Fancie with a satisfied grin. “Good boy. We’ll just leave that for your owner to clean up later.”

  For dinner they chose a restaurant overlooking the water. As they walked along Savannah’s waterfront, laughter and music erupted from the various bars and shops. A warm breeze lifted her hair and caressed her bare shoulders. Fancie tuned into the conversation of her friends, their comments on the groups of men who passed by and the shop window displays. She was having a nice time and not feeling sad or guilty about it. If she was to be totally honest, a feeling of relief nudged at her from under the hurt and anger. She was beginning to feel more like herself than she had for quite a while. When they returned, Luke’s Jeep was in his driveway and the house was dark.

  “Shoot, I meant to ask if he’d leave the back door unlocked so we could use the downstairs bathroom. But it looks like he’s already asleep.” Fancie pulled open their front screen door and a slip of paper fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and squinted in the dim porch light. “Great minds,” she said. “Luke left this note, ‘The door’s open, make yourselves at home. I sleep like a rock so you won’t disturb me.’”

  “I can’t wait to meet this guy,” Mikayla said, yawning. “Right now I just want to get into my pjs.”

  “I’ll be up in a few minutes to move my stuff into your room,” Ashley said.

  Charity frowned. “You’re moving out of my room? Why?”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you snore like a freight train,” Ashley said.

  “I do not.”

  The other women responded in unison. “Yes, you do!”

  When Fancie had changed into her boxers and tank top—her informal sleep wear, she returned to the kitchen.

  Chastity joined her. “Shoot. I have to pee. Come with me.”

  “Why? I don’t need to.”

  “Just come with me. I don’t know the guy next door or his dog.”

  “Fine. Come on.”

  Chapter Four

  As Fancie reached for the knob, the door opened. Luke took a step back and Barney raced past. “Hi.”

  “Hi. We just came to use the facilities. This is my cousin, Chastity. You haven’t met yet.” Fancie felt suddenly self-conscious standing there in a pair of shorts and a tank top sans bra, though the outfit was much less revealing than most bathing suits. She crossed her arms over her chest.

  Luke nodded to Chastity, then said, “I was taking the dog out for a minute. Go on inside.”

  Fancie skirted past him, but Chastity continued to stare.

  “Chas, come on. Let the man walk his dog.”

  Chastity grinned. “Nice night for a walk.” She slid by, still grinning. When Luke was out of earshot, Chastity smacked Fancie’s arm. “You didn’t say the man was gorgeous.”

  “I didn’t notice.”

  Her cousin rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. What was all that face flushing and chest covering about then? You noticed.”

  Fancie gave her a shove. “Just for that, I’m using the bathroom first.”

  She then waited in the kitchen for Chastity to finish. Barney, who had raced out as soon as the door opened, hurried back inside. Luke was close behind. “It’s a nice night.”

  Fancie nodded. “It is. I love being able to hear the ocean at night.”

  Luke leaned against the sink. “Have you been here to the island before?”

  She shook her head. “No. First time. I’m supposed to be…uh…somewhere else. But my plans changed.”

  Chastity returned to the kitchen, smiling. “Nice to meet you Luke. Thank you so much for the hospitality.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Fancie said. “We won’t bother you once the plumber gets things fixed next door.”

  “No bother.”

  “Goodnight.” She hurried to catch up with Chastity. “I hope that plumber shows up tomorrow.”

  “Why? Afraid of what you’ll do if you have to be around Luke much longer?”

  “No. It’s just awkward, that’s all. And I’m sure it’s an inconvenience, even though he’s too nice to say so.”

  “He is nice. Very nice. From head to toe nice.”

  Fancie smacked her playfully on the arm. “All right, you’ve made your point.”

  Chastity feigned hurt, rubbing her limb. “Where is this violence coming from all of a sudden?” Then she gave Fancie a push. Soon they were laughing and shoving one another the way they had as children.

  But by the time they reached their own back door, Fancie’s laughter turned into huge, gulping sobs and Chastity held her. “I’m sorry for teasing you. This is really hard, huh? You want to go back home?”

  “That’s the last place I want to go.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t stand feeling this way.”

  Her cousin led her to a bench situated on the small back porch and sat her down. “Feeling what way?”

  “Like the ground is made of Jell-O. I keep waiting for it to swallow me up. I’ve never felt so unsure of myself.” She wiped her eyes and faced Chastity. “How did I become this woman who let a man change her so completely that she doesn’t even recognize herself anymore?”

  “You were in love.”

  “Love.” Fancie spat the word out as if it was a bite of rotten fruit.

  “Yeah, makes us do all kinds of crazy things. The good news is—and I know you don’t see this as good news right now—he gave you a way out. If you think about it, Graham did you a favor. Imagine living the rest of your life with someone who wants to make you into someone or something else for his own benefit.”

  Her cousin was right. Marriage to Graham would have changed her even further. How long would it have been before she didn’t recognize any part of herself, before the transformation into Dr. Wellington’s wife would have been complete? She had let Graham talk her out of her job, the house she wanted, the timing for starting a family, the number of children they would have—she wanted four, he insisted two would be enough. Even their honeymoon. Fancie wanted to go on a cruise up the New England coast to Canada. Graham complained that cruise ships were nothing more than floating petri dishes and Greece would be so much more fun. The only capitulation he’d made was to her insistence to have an outdoor wedding on the grounds at Quail Hill. Probably because her parents were paying for the wedding.

  “I thought he loved me as much as I loved him.” She sniffled. “I di
d think I loved him.”

  “Oh, baby. I’m sure he thought he did, too. Men like Graham only love what reflects back on them. He’s a narcissist. Look at that sports car and his vanity plate. And how about the huge sign he had made to hang over his office door. You could see that thing from Memphis.”

  Fancie chuckled at that one. She had to agree and had, in her own way, tried to tell Graham the hand-painted sign was just a bit pretentious. Her attempt had backfired when he smiled and said, “I know. How can you miss it? It screams, ‘I earned the right to have my name in bold print.’” She remembered thinking he was right, that he’d worked hard and paid dearly to hold the title of doctor. He should be proud. Now she understood the difference between pride and unabashed bragging.

  “Graham doesn’t deserve you,” Chastity said, standing. “If he gets what he does deserve, his dick should be falling off about now.”

  Fancie stood. “You know what they say, don’t sweat the small stuff.”

  Chastity gasped, then they both burst into fits of laughter. Fancie was so grateful for her cousin, for all of her friends who stood by her. They’d known exactly what she needed when she didn’t have a clue.

  “What are you two howling about?” Ashley asked as they stumbled into the kitchen.

  Fancie looked at Chastity, then said, “No biggie.” And the laughter resumed. When she caught her breath, she said, “Hey, does your uncle have any games here? I’m not ready to go to sleep yet.”

  When a search for board games came up empty, they resorted to wine and charades. Which resulted in more hilarity.

  Mikayla drained the dregs of wine from the second bottle, then yawned. “I need sleep.”

  “Me, too,” Chastity said. “It’s getting late.”

  Ashley stretched. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

  “No plan. Please?” Fancie yawned. “I’m sleeping in and then I’m spending the day on the beach.”

  Chastity nodded. “Sounds good. Goodnight.”

  An hour later, Fancie lay on her side of the big bed watching the moonlight and shifting shadows on the wall. “Chas, are you asleep?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Oh, good. You’re awake.” Fancie sat up, pulling her pillow up behind her. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Mmph.”

  “I thought you were awake. Come on, I need to talk. You can sleep in tomorrow.” She tugged on the sheet and nudged her cousin’s arm.

  “Okay, okay. I’m awake.” Chastity scooted up and shoved her pillow behind her. “What’s so urgent?”

  “When you and Eddie broke up, how long did you wait before you started dating again?”

  “I don’t know, a month or so. You remember. I met that guy from Tupelo. What was his name? Oh, yeah. Presley. Said he was named after Elvis. Turned out to be a complete jerk.”

  “How did you know it was time?”

  “What, to date him or to ditch him?”

  “To date again.”

  Chastity turned to face her. “Seriously?”

  “I don’t know. I just wondered. It’s….” She let out a breath. “There’s something wrong with me. I met the guy next door early this morning and I can’t get him out of my head. I’m attracted to him in a way I’ve never been attracted to anyone. Not even Graham. Especially not Graham. But it doesn’t seem right.”

  “Right? You know what’s not right? A man walking away from his fiancée just days before the wedding with no explanation whatsoever. That’s not right. Honey, you’ve got to put Graham in the past. It’s not like you’re betraying a dead husband. Unfortunately. And the best way to put the past in the past is to move forward with someone new. That’s what Presley was for me—a move forward. Now that I think about it, a leap forward. By the time I figured out he was an arrogant ass, I’d already forgotten Eddie. And I had a nice smile on my face, if you know what I mean. The man did have a gift.”

  “I’m thinking of going somewhere for a while. I’ve got nothing to hold me back. I gave up my job because Graham didn’t want his wife to work outside the home. And, idiot that I am, I smiled and said, ‘Yes, dear.’”

  “How did we get from dating to moving away and starting over?”

  Fancie shrugged. “This thing has made me re-evaluate a lot. I need to do something different.”

  “Then you should do it. Make a clean break. Although you might could still get your job back.”

  Fancie sat forward and stared at Chastity. “You’re not going to give me ten reasons why I should stay in Columbus?”

  “Not even one. If you need a change to help get yourself back in the game, then make a change. I’m all for it.”

  Fancie smiled. “Thanks, Chas. I knew I could count on you to back me up.”

  Chastity lifted a hand. “Oh, no. This is a conversation between us. Hundred of miles away from your mama and daddy. When the conversation comes up with them, I have no sides.”

  “I understand. Believe me, I do. You don’t think I’m running away?”

  “Hell, yes, you’re running away. But, so what?” Chastity put an arm around her. “Who says you have to stay in Columbus and be brave? Sometimes it’s smart to run away, back up and gain perspective. Sometimes the brave thing to do is walk away.”

  Fancie dropped her head onto her cousin’s shoulder. “My mother might understand, but Daddy’s going to have a fit. He still thinks I’m fourteen and need him to protect me.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “I don’t know yet. I need to give that some thought. I could stay with Great Aunt Mattie in Knoxville for a while.”

  “You are desperate. She’s got to be ninety and she’s as mean as a cottonmouth.”

  “I’ll figure it out.” She yawned. “I just needed to know I’m not completely crazy.”

  “You’re not crazy.” Chastity settled back down on her pillow. “Not completely.”

  Fancie lay down again and took in a deep breath. Then she smiled. Starting off new was feeling better and better. It struck her as odd that, for the first time in quite a while, she felt optimistic and was able to truly breathe. And that realization scared her a little. How close had she come to making a huge mistake?

  Still restless, she glanced at the clock, startled to see it was nearly three a.m. She was too wound up to sleep, even though the wine had relaxed every muscle in her body. She eased out of bed and down the stairs. On the porch, she relished the cool night air and gazed up at the star-filled indigo sky. Her breathing soon matched the roll and splash of the waves. She lit the citronella candle to ward off the tiny mosquitoes that sometimes made their way through the mesh screen and then drew her legs up onto the swing, closing her eyes.

  The effort to be cheerful and have fun was exhausting when, deep down, you felt awful. Although Chastity was probably right that Graham had done her a favor by breaking off their engagement. Fancie wasn’t sure if she was angrier with him or with herself. Either way, anger would serve no purpose. The best way to get even would be to have a great life without Graham. In spite of Graham. She didn’t have to marry a doctor to be somebody. She had an education. Had a career she could easily resurrect. She had people who loved her. That was all that mattered.

  Fancie drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing the hurt, exhaustion, and doubt. Her head lolled to the side, resting on the back of the swing. The ocean played a lullaby that pulled her down and tucked her into the warm summer night. She woke when sunlight warmed her face. Every muscle had tightened over night. A wooden porch swing was not the place to sleep.

  As she sat upright, groaning, something fell away. A blue denim shirt. She held it up and studied it. Men’s large. The thought that someone—obviously male—had covered her with this while she slept sent a shiver through her. Who had been creeping around and watching her sleep? She draped the shirt over the back of the swing, holding it by thumb and forefinger, then stretched and slipped back into the house.

  ~

  “Let’s go to the beach
. I need to work on my tan,” Ashley said. “The plumber has my cell number to call and we’ll only be five minutes away.”

  “I’ll pack some bottled water and snacks,” Mikayla said.

  “You all go ahead. I’m going to give Mama a call and then see if I can get hold of Tripp.” Fancie held up her cell phone. “I’ll find you in a little while.”

  “You want me to wait?” Chastity asked.

  “No, I’m fine. I’ll be there shortly.” She settled into the wicker rocker on the front porch, noticing again the shirt hanging over the back of the swing. She’d meant to ask the others if one of them had covered her with it, but forgot about until now.

  Her mother answered on the second ring. “Fancie, honey, you doing okay?” Her voice was as rich as honey and comforting.

  “I’m fine, Mama. I just called to let you know we’re having a nice time. How are you and Daddy? He didn’t go on the hunt for Graham, did he?”

  “He didn’t. Your brother, on the other hand….”

  “I know. I ran into Graham at the Circle K when we stopped to gas up. He has quite a shiner. Is Tripp okay?”

  Her mother chuckled. “Not a scratch. I’m just grateful he wasn’t arrested. Are you really all right?”

  “I’ll be fine. I couldn’t be in better company. You know that.”

  “Have you talked to anyone else from Columbus since you left?”

  “No, why?” The pause made her stomach clench. “Is something wrong?”

  “Are you alone? Someone should be with you.”

  “Now you’re scaring me. What happened?”

  “Nothing happened. It’s just—well, Graham has been seen in the company of another woman.”

  That shook her. So fast? Had he been cheating on her while they were engaged? He must have. How could he have met someone in a week? Well, she had the answer to that question. She’d met Luke. But she certainly didn’t intend to pursue a relationship. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”